Mr. Goodman: The Kiteman

This July, Maharam celebrates Mr. Goodman: The Kiteman. A book designed and edited in collaboration with Kite Club-a collective of kite enthusiasts comprising creative director Peter Hebbing, industrial designer Bertjan Pot, and the photographers Maurice Scheltens and Liesbeth Abbenes-the volume honors the life and work of English engineer turned kite connoisseur Malcolm Goodman.

Kite Club first encountered Goodman in a YouTube video. Surrounded by kites he had assembled over the course of more than forty years, Goodman offered his collection to whoever would find it a permanent home. After connecting with Goodman, Kite Club sought to honor his wishes, helping to pack and preserve the kites for posterity while pursuing new ways to share Goodman's story. The collection of over one thousand kites represents a vast array of typologies from around the globe, from the American "Gibson Girl" kite to the Malaysian wau bulan, and reflects the strong bonds Goodman built with many of the world's great kite makers.

The resulting volume, Mr. Goodman: The Kiteman showcases Goodman's immense and idiosyncratic collection. Photography by Scheltens & Abbenes highlights a selection of over 280 kites-from intricate miniatures to graphic canvases and the most utilitarian of designs-while also capturing the profusion that occupied the ground floor of Goodman's home, which once served as a private kite museum. An introductory essay by design historian Emily King draws together anecdotes from Goodman's life in kiting, while brief essays throughout the book by King and Pot offer context from historical and contemporary kite culture.

Mr. Goodman: The Kiteman coincides with an exhibition of the same name at Kunsthal Rotterdam on view through August 30, 2026

About Kite Club
Kite Club, formed by creative director Peter Hebbing, industrial designer Bertjan Pot, and the photographers Maurice Scheltens and Liesbeth Abbenes, began with a shared passion for single-line kites and evolved into a collaborative creative outlet. While the collective started with sharing their handmade kites on Instagram, Kite Club now facilitates a range of exhibitions, workshops, and publications, including the 2025 book One Single Kite, which details each stage of a kite-making process.

About Maharam
Founded in 1902 in New York, Maharam is a leading creator of textiles for commercial and residential interiors. Recognized for its rigorous and holistic commitment to design, Maharam embraces a range of disciplines from product, graphic, and digital design to art and architecture. Maharam textiles are included in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Stedelijk Museum, among others. Maharam is the recipient of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Design Patron Award for its longstanding support of art and design.

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